Four teens were arrested in connection with 15 auto burglaries that occurred last weekend in Destrehan, according to St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne.
The vehicles were all unlocked, Champagne said, and located on River Village Drive and River Point Drive. Items stolen from the vehicles included wallets, a laptop, phone chargers, credit cards, medication, sunglasses, a watch, hand tools and a makeup bag.
“These incidents don’t occur often, but when they do perpetrators will go from house to house looking for unlocked vehicles,” Champagne said. “It is important that we all get into a habit of removing valuables from our cars every night.”
Champagne said that video surveillance footage and the “determination of patrol deputies” aided in the quick arrests of the four teens.
Early Monday morning, a deputy saw two teens who were riding bicycles with flashlights on Carolyn Drive. One of the teens, Aiden Smith, had two mismatched socks that investigators believe were used as gloves. Smith also had a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The other teen, 17-year-old John Motta, had a pair of Costa sunglasses around his neck and a $6,000 watch in his pocket, according to the arrest report.
“The subjects and the items on their person matched the description of the individuals on the surveillance camera and the items on their possession matched items taken in the auto burglaries,” Capt. Pat Yoes said.
After further investigation, the Sheriff’s Office made two more arrests in the case.
Those arrested include: Smith, 17, of 135 Pleasant Valley Drive in Des Allemands; Motta, 17, of 195 Carolyn Drive in Destrehan; Deric Pritchett, 17, of 43 Carriage Lane D in Destrehan; and Shyquile Posey, 17, of 721 Vans Lane in New Sarpy.
Smith, Pritchett and Motta are each charged with 15 counts of burglary of a movable. Posey is charged with possession of stolen property.
Champagne said that most of the stolen property was recovered and is being identified by its owners.
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